Airplane propeller pack



Sept. 1l, 1956 c. s. LEHMAN AIRPLANE PROPELLER PACK 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Sept. 16, 1953 Sept. 11, 1956 c. s. LEHMAN 2,762,502

AIRPLANE PROPELLER PACK Filed sept. 1e, 1955 2 sheets-sheet 2 om s4 L EHMA/v By W Y u #1ra/@Mey AmPLANE PRoPELLER PACK Carl S. Lehman, Thurston, Ohio, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Crown Zellerbach Corporation, San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of Nevada Application September 16, 1953, Serial No. 380,467

Claims. (Cl. 20G-46) This invention relates to a heavy-duty paperboard container for shipping and storing an airplane propeller.

More specifically, the invention comprises an elongated, rectangular shaped container having side and end walls with top and bottom marginal closure aps in combination with a plurality of irnmobilizing half length pads extending from the end walls to approximately the mid-length of the container with recesses on their inner end edges adapted to receive and snugly enclose the shaft socket of the propeller, rectangular inserts with diagonally disposed blade suspending slots in their end walls positioned adjacent the ends of the container and a centrally disposed rectangular insert with downwardly directed slots in the end walls adapted to snugly enclose the hub assembly of the propeller.

The propeller is placed in the container with the hub socket positioned downwardly over the bottom closure formed of fully overlapped side wall flaps. The side edges of the plurality of half length pads extend from the end of the container to approximately its mid-length in contact with the side walls of the container, while the recesses in their end edges may be, and preferably are, in the form of complementary half circles which snugly enclose the propeller shaft socket. The immobilizing pads thus prevent both lateral and transverse movement of the propeller within the container.

The inserts located adjacent to the ends of the container are preferably rectangular in shape, open at the top and bottom, with the side walls thereof in contact with the side walls of the container. Each end of the end walls of the inserts has a diagonal slot therein, the innermost slot adapted to snugly receive and suspend an end portion of the propeller blade.

The slots in the end walls extend diagonally in opposed directions, the slot in one end being wider and/ or longer than the other to accommodate end portions of blades of dierent widths and/or lengths. The inserts are thus adapted to prevent shifting transversely or vertically of the end portions of blades of varying width and of lengths varying up to twice the length of the inserts.

In addition, since the end portion of the blade is suspended in the inner wall of the insert, with the end point of the blade in an intermediate position between the end walls, the outer end wall provides an additional protecting cushioning panel between the end of the container and the propeller blade.

The plurality of immobilizing half-length pads at the bottom of the container obviously prevent longitudinal shifting of the blades as well as the hub assembly. The slots in the end walls of the centrally disposed insert are designed to snugly enclose the hub assembly and since the upper edges of the walls of this insert as well as the hereinbefore described end inserts which support the blades, all terminate in the same horizontal plane and in contact with the top closure of the container, the entire propeller is immobilized with respect to any vertical shifting within the container and completely isolated from the walls and closures of the container.

Heretofore, containers for shipping airplane propellers have been constructed entirely of wood with contour tting plywood block inserts positioned therein to suspend "ice - and immobilize the propeller within the container.

The containers of the present invention are made entirely of paperboard or similar material, are lighter in weight and may be quickly assembled with the propeller securely packed therein and completely isolated from the container walls. Owing to the inherent cushioning effect of paperboard, due to its resiliency, the containers of this invention provide greater protection to the propeller from damaging impact incident to transporting and handling than containers employing plywood blocks for immobilizing the propellers therein.

In a preferred form of the invention, the container and inserts are formed of double face or double wall corrugated board. In addition to the hereinbefore described immobilizing pads and rectangular inserts for suspending the propeller in isolated relation from the side walls of the container, additional reinforcing and cushioning means may be employed and in many cases are necessary. For example, a line may be positioned flatwise against the side and end walls held in place by a snugly fitting rectangular pad resting on the bottom closure within the liner. A U-shaped pad may be superimposed upon the bottom pad with end marginal aps folded upwardly and positioned atwise against the end walls. The half length immobilizing pads are then placed over the U-shaped pad with the recesses hereinbefore described on their inner edges which receive and enclose the shaft socket of the propeller. These additional thicknesses of resilient paperboard on the bottom and walls of the container provide an extra margin of safety to thepropeller against damaging strains and impacts incident to transportation and handling.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to pro- Vide an elongate container in combination with rectangular slotted inserts open at the top and bottom positioned adjacent the ends of the container for supporting the end portions of a propeller blade, a rectangular insert slotted at each end, also open at the top and bottom, adapted to enclose the hub assembly of the propeller anda plurality of half-length pads extending from the end of the container to substantially the mid-length thereof with complementary recesses in their meeting end edges for suspending the propeller completely isolated from Vthe side walls and secured against shifting within the container in any direction.

Another object is to provide a paperboard container with side and end walls, top and bottom closures formed of overlapped top and bottom side wall marginal flaps for suspending an airplane propeller therein completely iso-lated from contact with the side and end walls of the container, inserts being provided for suspending the end portion of the propeller blades, a plurality of halflength pads extending from the ends of the container to the central portion thereof with complementary recesses in the inner end edges which enclose and immobilize the shaft socket of the propeller and a rectangular insert with its end panels slotted, positioned over the hub assembly and adapted to enclose portions of the hub assembly and anchor the propeller against vertical movement within the container.

A stillfurther object of the invention is to provide a paperboard container with suspending and immobilizing inserts therein including cushioning reinforcements to the walls and closures for suspending an airplane propeller therein completely isolated from contact with the `walls and closures of the container and fully protected against damage from shocks and strains ordinarily incident to transportation and handling.

The invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the attached drawings wherein, like numerals and symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur'V Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the fully asernbled closed sommer;

the arrows; and

Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the several Aelements .of the container arranged one above the other vin the order in which they are assembled in the outer contailler- Means for suspending and immobilizing an airplane propeller within the container A, entirely free from contact with the wall closures thereof, comprise at least the ,following parts and inserts in combination with the con- -tainer and each other:

A plurality of immobilizing pads S approximately half the length of the container, each with a complementary recess on a free end edge, adapted to be stacked in layers on the bottom of the container with the recesses of the pads in each layer in complementary abutting relation,

A-pair of rectangular open-ended inserts B with side walls 7 and end walls 8, the width of the end walls being proportioned to adapt the inserts to lit snugly within the lside walls of the container. One end wall of the inserts B has a diagonal slot 9 therein and the other end a similar -slot 10 slightly wider and/or longer than the slot .9 and inclined in the opposite direction.

A rectangular insert C with side walls 11 and end walls 12, the width of the end walls being proportioned to adapt the insert to snugly tit within the side walls of the container. Each end wall 12 of the insert has a slot 13 with parallel sides extending from the lower edge of the `wall upwardly along the median line thereof, the slot .flaring outwardly from its upper parallel sides into a more or less circular form 14.

The container may be assembled and the propeller `securely packed and suspended therein by any convenient means. A preferred and entirely satisfactory method is to close and seal the bottom flaps 2 and 4 of the container and fold the top llaps outwardly as shown at A in Fig. 6. Two of the reinforcing half-length pads are mplaced on the bottom of the container with the recesses 6 in co-operating abutting relation at the mid-length of the container, the recesses forming an opening for receiving and enclosing the propeller shaft socket 1S. Successive layers of the reinforcing half-length pads 5 are superimposed on the first layer until the depth of the aligned opening is sufficient to enclose `the full width of the socket 15. The side edges of the pads 5 abut the side `walls of the container and their end edges abut the ends of the container, so that when the shaft socket of the y.propeller is inserted into the opening formed by the vrecesses 6, it will be effectively immobilized with respect to both longitudinal and transverse movement or shifting.

After the immobili/zing padsV 5 have thus been positioned within the container, one end of each insert B lis inserted over an end portion 16 of the propeller blade through either slot 9 or 10 depending on which of the slots is best adapted to snugly enclose the end portion 16 of the .propeller blade.

The propeller with the inserts B enclosing the outer portions of the blade 16 is then inserted into the container with the shaft socket extending downwardly into the openings formed by the complementary recesses 6 of the superimposed layers of pads 5 with-*their bottonre'dges kpanel thickness throughout.

18 resting on the topmost pad 5, as illustrated in the vertical cross-sectional view, Fig. 3. The insert C is then placed over the hub assembly of the propeller 17 with its bottom edges resting on the top-most layer of the immobilizing pads 5. The top closure flaps of the container 2 and 4 are folded over and secured together, completing the assembly of the container and its co-operating parts and inserts and the suspension of the propeller there- It will be observed that the top and bottom edges of -the walls 18 of the inserts B are in the same plane respectively as the top and 'bottom edges 19 of the inserts C when these elements are assembled in the container as hereinbefore described. Also, the bottom edges of both the B and C inserts rest on the top layer of the immobilizing pads 5 with the top edges in contacting relation with the inner face of the closure flaps 2 and 4 of "the container. Thus, when the assembly is completed lthe blades of the propeller as well as the hub assembly are absolutely immobilized with respect to vertical move- V,ment or shifting as well as longitudinal and transverse movement. As will be seen from Figs. 2 and 3, all parts of the propeller are completely isolated from the walls andclosures of the container.

Additional protection and resilient reinforcing means may be employed on the bottom, and/or sides and ends `of the container and in some cases such added protection is in fact necessary. For example, the liner 20 which ,may be in two sections as shown in Fig. 6, substant-ially coextensive in dimensions with inner faces of the side walls 1, having foldable end flaps 21 substantially coextensive in dimensions with the end wall 3, may be inserted within the container to provide walls of two A rectangular, a-t pad 22 is dimensioned to snugly fit within the liner 20 andend naps 21 and rest on the bottom closure of the container. This pad in addition to cushioning and reinforcing the bottom yof the container, also serves the purpose of holding the liner Walls Ztl and 21 in tlatwise relation to the side and end walls respectively of the container. To provide still further resilient reinforcement and protec- H-tion, aU-shaped pad 23 with upwardly folded end flaps 24 may be inserted in ilatwise relation over pad 22 with .the end aps 24 in flatwise relation to the end panels 21 of the liner 20, the pad being dimensioned to insure snug contact with the liner Walls 20 and end flaps thereof 2l.

Upon the completion of the insertion of the described additionalproteoting and reinforcing means, the immobilizing half-length pads 5 are positioned flatwise on the U-shaped pad 23 instead of the bottom closure of the container, and the inserts B and C positioned precisely ashereinbefore described.

Although I have illustrated and described but a present preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be recognized that changes in the details and arrangements may be made without departing from the spirit of the invent-ion or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A container for shipping an airplane propeller, said container having side and end Walls with top and bottom closures in combination with means for suspending and immobilizing said propeller within said container completely isolated from the walls and closures thereof; said means comprising relatively rigid pads horizontally Vimmobilized extending in atwise relation on the bottom ,closure of said container from the mid length thereof toward each end, said pads having free abutting end edges With complementary recesses thereon, the boundary of said recesses securely enclosing the downwardly projecting shaft socket of said propeller and horizontally immobilizing said propeller, rectangular shaped inserts with opposed upstanding side and end walls positioned adjacent the ends of the container wit-h inclined slots in the inwardlydisposed end walls thereof within which the ends, of the propeller blades are suspended and isolated from the walls and closures of said container, and a centrally positioned rectangularly shaped insert with opposed upstanding side and end walls with aligned, downwardly opening slots in each end Wall, the boundaries of said slots securely enclosing the hub assembly of said propeller and vertically immobilizing said propeller in isolated relation from the walls and closures of said container, the bottom edges of said inserts resting upon said immobilizing pads and the upper edges thereof being in contacting relation with the top closure of the container.

2. The container structure set forth and claimed in claim 1 wherein each of the end walls of the inserts positioned adjacent the ends of the container have diagonal blade suspending slots in opposed relation, one of said slots dilering in width and/or length from the other to accommodate propeller blades of end portions of varying dimensions, the end Walls of the inserts adjacent the end Walls of the container providing an additional cushioning and reinforcing thickness of board at the ends of said container.

3. The container structure set forth and claimed in claim 2 wherein a liner is positioned in atwise contact with the inner faces of the walls of said container and a liner retaining pad coextensive in dimensions with the inner faces of said liner is positioned in flatwise contact With the bottom closure of said container, the said plurality of half-length pads being positioned in atwise relation over said liner retaining pad.

4. The container structure set forth and claimed in claim 3 wherein a U-shaped pad is interposed between said liner retaining pad and said half-length pads with its side and end edges in contacting relation with said liner, said U-shaped pads having marginal ilaps on each end folded upwardly between theou'ter ends of said rec- `tangular inserts and end closure of said container,

5. In a package for airplane propellers, an exterior container, a bottom, thick reinforcing pad rigidly disposed within the container and provided with a centrally located opening therein, the shaft socket of the propeller extending downwardly through said opening, end propeller blade supporting members having an upstanding wall xedly disposed in spaced relation from the adjacent end of the exterior container and provided with an inclined opening therein through which the ends of the propeller blades extend and a centrally disposed hub enclosing member having a pair of Vertical, spaced, parallel walls disposed transversely of the container and having downwardly opening voids therein into which the hub assembly of the propeller extends.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

